New Delhi, March 31 (NationPress) – Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal asserted that decision-making based on consensus is fundamental to the WTO’s credibility. Ongoing discussions concerning reforms in the global trading landscape, electronic commerce, non-violation of TRIPS, and support packages for least developed countries (LDCs) will be resumed in Geneva.

His comments followed the conclusion of the 14th Ministerial Conference of the WTO held in Yaounde, Cameroon, where he represented India.

Goyal stressed the necessity for the WTO to respect the sovereign rights of its members, indicating that no member should feel obligated to adhere to agreements they do not support. While reiterating India’s commitment to a structured reform process with timelines, he highlighted the urgency for the WTO to conduct a transparent, inclusive, and member-driven evaluation of its current stalemate and its root causes.

India pointed out that a cohesive multilateral trading system cannot flourish amidst fragmentation within its institutional framework and urged that the consensus process should be grounded in principles of openness, transparency, inclusiveness, and active member participation.

Goyal showcased India’s proactive and historical conservation measures, such as the annual 61-day fishing ban, reinforcing India’s long-term dedication to sustainability, even before it became a global focus.

He warned that the inclusion of the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement might undermine the operational boundaries of the WTO and its foundational principles.

During MC-14, India engaged constructively regarding the moratorium on customs duties related to electronic transmissions, yet no agreement was reached among member nations.

India advocated for a cautious stance in agricultural negotiations to ensure that discussions do not deviate from addressing longstanding issues concerning Public Stockholding (PSH), Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM), and cotton, all of which align with previous ministerial directives, as stated by the Commerce Ministry.

Additionally, India supports the extension of the moratorium on non-violation and situation complaints (NVSC) within the TRIPS framework.

At the Yaounde conference, ministers agreed to persist with negotiations on fisheries subsidies, aiming to deliver recommendations for MC-15 that align with the comprehensive regulations outlined in Article 12 of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. They also ratified two MC-14 resolutions that had been previously supported in Geneva: one focusing on integrating small economies into the multilateral trading system and the other enhancing the effective implementation of special and differential treatment provisions in the Agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT).

Goyal reiterated the importance of prioritizing long-standing issues such as food security, PSH, and SSM on cotton while addressing new matters to rectify structural imbalances. He also pointed out the ongoing dysfunction of the dispute settlement system as a significant concern.

India cautioned against the misuse of transparency as a means to justify trade retaliation or challenge legitimate domestic policies, emphasizing that all members should have equitable opportunities to enhance productive capacity, create jobs, and engage meaningfully in global trade.